Writer discusses experience of women at smc

By CORA HADDAD news Writer

a s part of the v isiting Writers s eries, s aint m ary’s welcomed novelist and poet melissa g insburg Thursday for a reading and book signing in h aggar p arlor.

g insburg started off by reading from her novel, “The house uptown,” which was released during the pandemic. The novel’s inspiration, g insburg said, was both her personal life and imagination.

“The setting for this novel is the house that my grandmother lived in new o rleans when i was a little kid,” she said. “ s o, things like that are taken straight from life, but all of the characters are made up or are like an amalgamation of people i know and made up stuff and parts of myself too.” g insburg then read from her most recently published book of poetry titled, “d oll a pollo.”

The musicality of her poems is very intentional, g insburg explained, reading at an intended cadence to demonstrate so.

“They’re very musical,” g insburg said. “ s o i hope that people just enjoy listening to them and also are moved by them. a nd i also hope that a lot of the sort of emotional tenor of the poems will resonate with people in the audience.” g insburg also spoke about where the content of her poetry is adopted from. b ecause of her interest in portraying women, g insburg welcomed the opportunity to speak on s aint m ary’s campus.

“i use a lot of images that are just things that i see and i’m interested in or a lot of images that are derived from the landscape of the place where i live, that i’m directly observing and interacting with all the time,” g insburg said.

“i love speaking at an all girls school,” g insburg said.

“i visited a class this morning that was really wonderful to interact with those women. a ll of my writing is about women and girls. This is my audience, it’s really wonderful just to be able to read these from these books that are so much about art and art making and being a woman in the world. a nd navigating all of these sorts of things that we all have to deal with, like patriarchy, sexual violence, all of that stuff, you know, is such a part of my work.” c ircling back to “The house uptown,” g insburg again elaborated on the experience of women.

“The novel is about a woman artist who has had to figure out a way to make her life function. While she’s dedicated to her career, and also a mom and the kinds of sacrifices that she makes to do that and the things that she does, the things that she gives up and the ways that she’s judged. a ll of that comes from the novel. s o i think we’re all still dealing with that.” con T inued from page 1 the characters,” he said.

The endeavor was far from monotonous, b ernsten explained, as students put careful thought into the way that they read the poem.

“ n obody was truly shouting or anything like that or getting down on their knees or weeping with the characters,” b ernsten said. “ b ut they were doing the inflections of questions and adding more force to certain words.” a fan-favorite moment was in book nine during the f all — the temptation of a dam and e ve by the serpent. s tudents were given apples and instructed to make their first bite during the scene’s most important moment. The crunch of honeycrisps sounded when e ve bit into the apple, when a dam ate the fruit and even before or after these plot points.

“ i t’s just kind of funny seeing different people’s judgments as to the importance of what’s the most grievous sin, when sin first comes about,” b ernsten said. “That was definitely the funniest part. i t was very judgmental apple bites.”

The text, r egala added, was made more lively by the sounds of apple munching.

Iraq

con T inued from page 1 instability, including the s yrian civil war, increased religious extremism and chronic economic and social chaos.” a ckerman explained that the lavish and expensive dining options were only a microcosm of the larger financial forces at play.

Thursday panelists included spencer a ckerman, a national security correspondent for the g uardian, a ndrew b acevich, an a merican historian from b oston university and o mar d ewachi, a professor of medical anthropology at r utgers university.

The panelists discussed the root of causes of what they thought to be a senseless war. u ltimately, a ckerman believed that the motivation for the war had been financial. he recounted a story about how when he had visited a u s . military base in i raq in 2007, he was struck by the “for-profit” nature of the war.

“To my amazement, topping buffets were crab legs, and for dessert, there were six flavors of ice cream,” a ckerman recounted. While to the troops, the food may have been a creature comfort that reminded them of home, “what we were actually experiencing was how profitable the i raq War was,” a ckerman said.

“The i raq war had real winners and among them were

“ i t was super engaging in the fact that you could hear everyone eating the apple out loud,” she said.

The fact that students were willing to give up their s aturday to read the lengthy poem, f allon said, reflects strongly on the character of the u niversity’s students.

“ n otre d ame students are very bright and enthusiastic and passionate about books,” he said. “ s tudents have a close sort of intellectual social culture. s o they like to be together, and they like to be together to share something beautiful.”

The dedication of the students, r egala explained, is evidence of a certain culture that persists on campus.

“ i think it says a lot about n otre d ame in the fact that a bunch of students on a s aturday woke up early and were willing to take time out of their day to come and talk and engage in a very intellectual community,” she said. “a lso just as a c atholic university, with everyone’s exposure to g enesis, i think that added an element of understanding and appreciation for the text.” b ernsten thought that the event was more of a reflection on f allon and other professors around campus.

“ i t demonstrates a certain the oil companies and the military-industrial complex that benefited from the consistent increases in u s . defense spending,” a ckerman stated. b acevich argued that the war had been an act by the u s . to reaffirm its supremacy as a world hegemon after it had been shaken by the events of 9/11. a ckerman also brought up the effect of 9/11, saying that “the deep fear” caused by 9/11 “made these sorts of paranoid enthusiasms” that the bush administration propagated about i raq much more appealing to a mericans. a ckerman argued that after the war deteriorated into chaos, a mericans shifted the blame to i raqis for their mistakes. b acevich made the case that the notion of a merica as a liberator that emerged after World War ii and that motivated the war in i raq is greatly flawed.

“The united states invaded i raq in order to reaffirm a merican global primacy — political, economic and above all, ideological,” b acevich said.

“You started seeing a mericans blame the i raqis for the failures of the i raq war, not thinking back conceptually, and interpreting structurally what those reasons were, but instead of treating the i raqis as ungrateful,” a ckerman said.

“[World War ii ] becomes this permanent reference point for love of beloved teachers,” he said. “ i t demonstrates, i guess, a certain amount of loyalty or a certain amount of gratitude that we feel towards teachers that impact us.” a s f allon is retiring at the end of the semester, this year is the last time he will be hosting the event as a full-time professor. r egala said f allon will be missed in future years. a merica the liberator, a merica the source of freedom. s o yeah, we screwed up in v ietnam. Yeah, we screwed up in i raq. but don’t forget World War ii,” b acevich explained. b acevich argued that the chaos caused by the i raq war fostered a more polarized political environment that allowed d onald Trump to start his political movement and ultimately win the presidency. d ewachi focused on the effects of the war on the i raqi healthcare system.

The panelists also noted the impact that the war had on the u s . political environment.

“i n comparison with prior a merican wars, such as the c ivil War, World War ii, even v ietnam, i raq really doesn’t rank as all that big, but its impact on a merican democracy has been massive,” b acevich stated.

“it was the i raq war, in my judgment, that transformed Trumpism from a marginal phenomenon — so-called ‘deplorables’ griping about gun laws and the decline of traditional morality and the loss of decent blue collar jobs into something far more powerful,” b acevich said.

“o ne of the central tragedies of the last history has been the collapse of i raq’s healthcare,” d ewachi said, citing the “destruction of infrastructure, exodus of doctors, loss of sanitation systems and care projects.” however, the wounds left

“ h e’s done this so many times and this is the last one,” r egala said. “a little part of me hopes that he’ll come back and lead events like this in the future. b ut yeah, it made it extra special.” i n his last go-around, f allon reflected on what makes the m ilton m arathon so special.

“ i t’s always exciting to see other people being by the conflict have been both physical and social wounds, d ewachi explained. a ckerman argued that the u s . needs “to pay i raqis reparations for their suffering, and to relinquish its self-appointed claim to police the world under the rubric of a so-called rules-based international order meant to bind everyone but Washington.”

“With no accountability or accounting for these injuries or deaths, we are left with invisible accounts of these wounds,” d ewachi lamented.

The reflection continued on friday with another panel focusing on the impact of the war on present day i raq. s alar a bdoh, an i ranian novelist and essayist, a mal a l-Jubouri, an i raqi poet, translator, journalist and publisher, mortada g zar, an i raqi filmmaker and novelist, and d unya m ikhail, an i raq-a merican writer and poet, all shared their personal experiences with the war.

“i’m afraid [the war] is too familiar to us,” m ikhail said.

The war, g zar said, “destroyed the memory of a people.” g zar recounted how his father made his family shelter underneath the stairs when bombing was taking place after seeing only the stairs remaining in houses that had been destroyed. m ikhail reflected on similar

“You make your own beliefs based on your own experience,” g zar said.

Courtesy of Will Attig animated by it and to realize that something written so long ago can be both so beautiful and moving and also remain relevant to their lives,” he said. “ i t’s always exciting to see especially young people excited about poetry in general and this poem in particular.”

Contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu measures that her family took to stay safe during the war. her and her family had a “war room” where they would shelter during air raids with covered windows to shield themselves from shrapnel and to block light. a l-Jobourhi critiqued the a merican desire to establish a democratic regime in i raq, echoing a ckerman’s arguments, saying that “liberation cannot come with invasion.”

“i had to turn off the light when we heard a siren. my mom didn’t allow us to go to the bathroom or anything because she wanted us to live and die together,” m ikhail said.

“The priority for the people of the a rab world is good governance, not democracy,” a lJobourhi explained. “i want to ask the a merican audience why certain political governance has to be dictated by a superpower country like the united states to be universal.” a bdoh argued that a more complex and nuanced discussion is necessary in the u s . in order to fully understand the war.

“The conversation is very reductive,” a bdoh said, “people don’t want to see the layers and layers of things that exist. it’s so complicated, you just need to put a whole lifetime into it.”

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

By ALLISON ELSHOFF scene Writer

Last Friday, the center for Italian studies hosted its annual Italian community concert in the debartolo Performing Arts center. singers included notre dame faculty and students, who came together to perform an array of fantastic Italian music for a sold-out crowd.

The center for Italian studies, in conjunction with the nanovic Institute for european studies and the department of romance languages and literatures, has sponsored this concert each spring since 2016. every year, the event is framed around a different theme or artist.

This year’s theme was “diversitàlia: Italian cities and their soundscapes.” The two-set performance took audience members on a tour of various Italian cities, celebrating each one’s rich history and distinct culture. every song was introduced by an accompanying voiceover or a professor to provide context to the mix of famous traditional, pop, rock and folk music performed. escaping the thundering storm outside, concertgoers huddled into a buzzing and cozy Leighton concert hall. The show kicked off with a lively performance of dean martin’s “on an evening in roma” by notre dame graduate sean Leyes. Professor Lesley marcantonio, the concert’s producer and a favorite in the Italian department, then came on stage to give a brief introduction to the rest of the concert.

“Let’s use this evening’s experience to demonstrate that we can freely choose to live together, a nourishing moment of our shared intentions,” she said. “Together in one place, experiencing one moment in time, breathing one moment of this music, we immerse ourselves in the Italian passion for spectacle, for beauty and for music.” With this intention set, audience members were truly immersed for the rest of the show. A screen above the stage projected pictures of the featured cities and song lyrics so that viewers could sing along, adding to the warm and engaging atmosphere. returning performers included singers Patrick vivirito, colin mccarthy and marcantonio herself, who were accompanied by musicians Anthony monta, Joseph rosenberg, Tom Guinan, benjamin nelson, sean raming and rachel Keynton. english professor Anthony mota’s introduction to the city of Geneva included an anecdote about his grandfather; likewise, Italian professor Alessia blad introduced the city of milan, drawing on her pride for the city she grew up in and that she said she feels shaped her. These personal introductions to the songs emphasized the strong connections to Italy alive and well at notre dame. highlights of the show included both serene, belting songs along with spirited performances and little skits. Italian professor v ivirito’s performance of “r iccione” had the audience clapping along, while a show-stopping performance of “Frosinone” by mitch speer and a comical skit of “ho v isto Un re” added levity and laughter to the night.

A dance number by sarah Kanczuzewski, marisa Lantigua, diana Perynska and Teresa Tompkins gave the audience a taste of a typical summer night in the city of Puglia, where tourists and locals come together in the Piazza at night to dance La Taranta.

Two powerful solos closed both acts of the show. Graduate student Joseph oparamankuie ended act one with an impressive opera performance of “Firenze sogna,” and holy cross student Tompkins closed act two with a moving performance of “maledetta Primavera.” After an insistent chant for an encore from the crowd, the show ended with a sneak peek of next year’s concert, which will celebrate iconic female voices of Italy.

Anyone involved with notre dame’s Italian department will tell you how special a place it is. Professor Alessia blad acknowledged the value of their work.

“While learning a new language, you are set to gain the priceless ability to see the world from a different perspective, while becoming part of a global community that encourages mutual respect and tolerance” she said.

This annual concert is a must-see for anyone looking to learn more about other cultures and celebrate wonderful talent, all while having fun doing it. “bravissimi!” to the performers, and make sure to experience this wonderful night next spring.

Contact Allison Elshoff at aelshoff@nd.edu

By ARI DENNING scene Writer

“dungeons & dragons: honor Among Thieves” debuted in theaters Friday to a packed house, utterly crushing the box office this past weekend. It was an homage to the time-honored game, “dungeons and dragons,” that has ratcheted up in popularity in recent years with lockdown and its depiction in popular T v shows, such as “stranger Things.” Fans of “d&d” were rather afraid that this depiction of our beloved game would be a corporate cash grab that capitalizes on its recent traction. did it include many “d&d” stereotypes? Yes. Was it extremely cheesy? Yes.

did I also enjoy it immensely? Also yes.

As a “d&d” enthusiast in my personal life, I was nervous that there would be none of the shenanigans, friendly banter and emotional depth that lives at the heart and soul of any campaign. however, the movie and its phenomenal cast did a great job at capturing those aspects of the game. chris Pine stars as one of the titular thieves, edgin darvis, a bard who’s trying to right the wrongs of his tragic past. he delivers an honestly hilarious, quip-filled and, at times, emotionally touching performance. The movie breathes in his surprisingly great comedic timing within his conversations with his crew. Additionally, he especially shines when it comes to his sentimental relationship with his daughter Kira, portrayed by the talented chloe coleman.

however, the entire cast creates a great ensemble that has an undeniable chemistry with one another. michelle rodriguez plays a barbarian with a heart of gold, sophia Lillis is charming as a tiefling druid who has the ability to shapeshift, regé-Jean Page is wonderfully tight-laced as a paladin knight and Justice smith won my heart with his portrayal of an amateur sorcerer who’s learning to have confidence in himself. hugh Grant and daisy head portray the villains of the plot, a truly unlikable conman and an irredeemable wizard. my only disappointment would be the lack of dimension in the villains, specifically head’s character. While she depicts a red Wizard of Thay (a classic d&d villain), there was limited development of her backstory or character arc in the film. she is depicted as almost cartoonishly evil from the beginning and stays that way through to the end.

A zany adventure filled with obstacles to overcome and monsters to tackle, the quest that the gang embarks upon is filled with references and easter eggs that are sure to reward viewers who are “dungeons & dragon” players. The characters tend to embody typical class stereotypes, such as the bard being way overconfident, paladins being an utter wet towel to any group antics and barbarians having the tendency to eat well and smash their way out of any situation. classic creatures from the “monster manual” such as a gelatinous cube, a displacer beast, a mimic and a Themberchaud — the extremely rotund dragon — were lovely treats to see on screen and were depicted accurately. however, you don’t need to play “d&d” to enjoy the movie. It makes a valiant effort to recount any lore behind the plot and keeps the story very fun and light-hearted for newcomers to “dungeons and dragons.”

The basic plot follows a bard and his crew on their grand adventure to not only break into a vault and steal a magical item to resurrect the bard’s dead wife, but also rescue his daughter, who has been turned against him. Along the way, they must retrieve various other artifacts, compete in gladiator-style games and become true heroes as they foil a plot to turn the world into an army of the undead. sounds fun? It was. even though the plot was fast-paced and jam-packed with every obstacle imaginable, it never failed to take a beat and build relationships between the characters. Through their absolutely hilarious banter, there shines an emotional core to the movie that makes you root for them to succeed. You want chris Pine to reunite with his daughter, you realize that michelle rodriguez’s barbarian has become a surrogate mother and the blossoming flirtation between Justice smith and sophia Lillis is incredibly sweet.

“dungeons & dragons: honor Among Thieves” did a great job delivering a movie that puts a lot of effort into paying its respects to the beloved role-playing game it’s based on. While not the most revolutionary in its plot lines or character development, the humor and antics that echoed a real “d&d” session more than makes up for the deficit. In conclusion, if you’re a fan of d &d or just want to see a hugely entertaining and laugh-out-loud film, then “dungeons & dragons: honor Among Thieves” will fit the ticket.

Contact Ari Denning at adenning@nd.edu